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UK national tests positive for Ebola virus in DR Congo

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The confirmation comes amid the deadliest Ebola epidemic in the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has recorded a fatality rate of 48.6% as of late last month. While the Foreign Office has not officially detailed medical repatriation plans, an internal document cited by Reuters indicates the patient is a healthcare worker slated for evacuation. The UK government maintains that specialized response protocols are in effect to handle the situation safely.

Key points

  • British authorities have activated specialized response procedures while maintaining that…: British authorities have activated specialized response procedures while maintaining that the overall risk to the UK public is low.
  • This infection marks the first confirmed case of a United Kingdom citizen contracting the…: This infection marks the first confirmed case of a United Kingdom citizen contracting the virus during the current outbreak.
  • The UK government previously repatriated an individual exposed to the Ebola virus for med…: The UK government previously repatriated an individual exposed to the Ebola virus for medical attention back in July.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

- Published

A British national who is in the Democratic Republic of Congo has tested positive for Ebola, the UK government has confirmed.

A spokesperson said the UK "has well-established procedures for dealing with cases like this" and that the risk to the public remains low.

It is the first confirmed case of a UK national contracting Ebola during the most recent outbreak of the rare but deadly virus in DR Congo, which has so far led to more than 5,000 deaths.

The Foreign Office did not confirm whether the patient would be brought back to the UK for treatment, though a British national who was exposed to the virus in July was flown back for medical attention, as have previous nationals infected abroad.

Reuters news agency reported the most recent patient is a healthcare worker and would be brought to the UK, citing an internal document BBC News has not seen.

A UK government spokesperson said: "The UK has well-established procedures for dealing with cases like this, and those processes have been activated.

"Further information will be shared in…

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